Book match dispenser



April 16, 1940. F. c. DU GRENIER BOOK MATCH DISPENSER Filed June 9, 1939 2 Sheet Jrvere ar.

A rifl 16, 1940. F. c. DU GRENIER BOOK MATCH DISPENSER Filed June 9, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jfiuerz ?0 Ji /M Patented Apr. 16, 1940 UNITED STATES BOOK MATCH DISPENSER Francis 0. Du Grenier, Haverhill, Mass., assignor of one-half to Blanche E. ,Bouchard, Haverhill,

Mass.

Application June 9, 1939, Serial No. 278,279

2 Claims.

This invention relates to book match dispensers which are primarily designed for use in connection with cigarette vending machines, which are arranged to deliver a book of matches with each package of cigarettes purchased.

As modern cigarette vending machines are constructed to vend approximately 400 packages without refilling the compartments, it is practically necessary that each machine be adapted to dispense an approximately equal number of mach books. Also, as the space available for holding the match books is somewhat limited, it is practisirable that the match holding and dispensing means be made as compactly as possible.

In the most approved types of cigarette vending machines, a main shaft is oscillated in performing the cigarette dispensing operation and it is desirable to have the match dispensing operation automatically performed at the same time by the action of this shaft thru mechanism which is simple and effective and unlikely to get out of order.

I have ascertainedthat with a machine adapted.

to contain approximately 400 packages of cigarettes, in vertically disposed compartments, four compartments of similar height will contain an equal number of match books and, in order that the match dispensing mechanism be simple and effective, it is necessary that the dispensing op eration be performed on the four compartments successively, so that all the compartments would become empty at practically the same time.

The objects of my invention are to provide a book match dispensing mechanism which is adapted to be incorporated within the casing of a cigarette dispensing machine and to be operated by the main shaft thereof which is oscillated each time a package is dispensed, so that a match book will be dispensed at the same time, and to provide a simple and effective mechanism which will dispense a single match book from one of four compartments, successively, each time the main shaft is oscillated, so that the match books will be dispensed from all the compartments at the same rate.

I accomplish these objects by providing two pairs of identical compartments, which may be conveniently arranged in the rear of the cigarette dispensing compartment and by providing a single ejector for each pair of compartments which is adapted to be operated in opposite directions to eject a match book therefrom successively and by providing cam operated means for actuating said ejectors which is arranged to be actuated progressively by the oscillatory movement of the main shaft, so that each time the As shown in the drawings, a bracket H) is secured to one end of the machine casing and has two upright arms I! and I2, in which a shaft I3 is journaled and on which a cam l4 is mounted. A clutch lever i5 is also mounted on shaft '|3 between one end of the cam and. the bracket said clutch lever having ratchet teeth Iii which engage similar teeth ll on the adjacent end of the cam, a spring washer l8 being arranged on shaft l3 between bracket H and lever if, so that return movement is permitted. A link l9 is connected atone end to the end of lever l5 and at its opposite end to the end of an arm 2|] on a shaft 2|, which is oscillated each'time the machine is operated todispense a package of cigarettes, the arrangement being such that on each operative movement of shaft 2|, the cam l4 will be advanced To hold the camagainst backward movement on the return movement of shaft 2 I, the cam is provided with four ratchet notches22 and a ratchet pin 23 is yieldably supported in bracket II] by a spring arm 24 in position to engage in said notches, so that on each oscillation of arm 20, the cam l4 will be advanced 90. Two pairs of identical book match containing compartments 25, 26, 2'! and 28 are provided, which are in practice arranged in the rear of the cigarette containing compartments, each pair separated by a middle partition 29. The compartments 25, 26 are provided with an ejector 30, which is slidably mounted on a bottom plate 3|, and the compartments 21, 28 with an ejector 32, which is slidably mounted on a bottom plate 33, said ejectors each consisting of a fiat rectangular plate of a width and length corresponding to the internal dimensions of each compartment. The bottom plates 3|, 33 actto support the match books in the compartments when not directly supported by the ejectors, which are slidably supported on the bottom plates.

Openings 34, 34 are provided in the opposite sides of compartments 25, 26 at the level of the bottom plate 3| and openings 35, 35' are provided in the opposite sides of compartments 21, 28 at the level of the bottom plate 33, each of which are of sufiicient height and width to permit a match book to pass therethru, when pushed from beneath the stack of books by one of the ejectors, so that when ejector 32 is moved from compartment 28 it will push the bottom book in the stack of the compartment 21 thru opening 35, as indicated in Fig. l, permitting the books in compartment 28 to move downward. Then, when ejector 32 is moved from compartment 21, it will eject a book thru opening 35. In like manner ejector 30 will eject a book thru the openings 34 and 34', successively.

The bottom plates 3!, 33 are provided with longitudinal slots at the middle thereof and guide blocks 33a and 32a are connected to ejectors 3B, 32 by bolts which pass through said slots, as

shown in Fig. 3. A pair of levers 36, 31 are mounted at their lower ends on a pivot shaft 38, which is secured in bracket I0 and the top ends of said levers are respectively connected to guide blocks 30a,32a bylinks 40, 4!. Cam [4 has an encircling path therein, 180 of which consists of a dwell portion 42 and the other 180 of which consist of two oppositely inclined portions 43, 44, each of which extend thru 90. Thelever 36 has a cam engaging projection 45 and lever 31, a

' similar projection 46 which extend into the cam path at diametrically opposite points, so that as the cam is rotated one or the other of said levers will be oscillated, the action being as follows:

When the cam I4 is advanced 90, the projection 46, will be engaged in the cam path portion 44, causing lever 3'! to be swung so as to move ejector 32 to the right and eject a match book from the opening 35 and, on the next forward 90 movement of the cam, lever 31 will be swung in the opposite direction moving ejector 32 so that a book will be ejected from opening 35. During this operation the lever 36 will be held stationary, as its projection 45 will be held in the dwell portion of the cam path. on the next 90 movement of the cam the ejector 33 will be moved to eject a book from the opening 34 and on the next 90 movement it will eject a book from the opposite opening 34.

This operation will then be repeated, so that with the above described arrangement a match book will be ejected from the four compartments successively, each time a package of cigarettes is delivered.

I claim:

1. A book match dispenser comprising a duplicate pair of vertically disposed compartments having an intervening wall, a bottom plate extending beneath both compartments, and delivery openings for the match books at the level of said bottom plate and at opposite sides of said compartments, an ejector plate corresponding in dimensions to the internal dimensions of said compartments and slidably mounted on said bottom plate, a pivotally mounted lever having a link connecting the same to said ejector, a cam engaged with said lever and arranged to oscillate the same, a link connecting said lever and said ejector, an oscillating shaft and connections between said shaft and said cam for advancing the cam thru a partial revolution on each oscillation of said shaft thereby to move said ejector alternately from one of its positions to the other.

2. A book match dispenser comprising two duplicate pairs of vertically disposed compartments, a bottom plate extending beneath each pair of compartments, and a delivery opening for the match books at the level of the bottom plates at opposite sides of each pair of compartments, an ejector plate mounted on each bottom plate and movable between the delivery openings thereof, an oscillatory shaft, a cam having a cam path therein and connections between said shaft and cam for advancing the cam one-fourth of a revolution on each oscillation of said shaft, a pair of levers pivotally mounted at opposite sides of said cam and engaged with the path thereof at diametrically opposite points, and links connecting said levers and ejectors, respectively, said cam path having two dwell portions and two actuating portions each extending thru 90 of the circumference of the cam and arranged to move said ejectors successively from one compartment to another to perform an ejecting operation.

FRANCIS C. DU GRENIER. 

